The Rise to Power
by Palani Pendragon
Summary: This is my first fanfic, please r&r...Voldemort has not yet risen to his fearful reign, but dark dealings are on the move. Lily, James, Sirius and the rest battle the seen and unseen forces as they complete their 7th year at Hogwarts...
1. Return to Hogwarts

Chapter 1  
  
Autumn descended on Hogwarts like a breath of fire, setting the grounds and mountains ablaze with russet, gold and orange. The air was just beginning to bite with the coming chill of winter, and students returned from their outdoor endeavors with pink cheeks and noses, and windswept hair; the sun shone brightly as if to make sure the world knew that winter was not here yet; and a pair of ice blue eyes took this all in as their owner strolled casually down the lane towards Hogwarts' grand front gates.  
Lucius Malfoy looked reminiscently up at the old castle walls, a smirk of haughty amusement played about his mouth, though his eyes gazed coolly up at the castle, immense dislike apparent in their glint. He was a tall, elegant young man, with shoulder length white-blonde hair that hung gracefully about his face. He wore flawless sapphire robes, and a sleek traveling cloak of lustrous black fur, neither of which seemed to be the least bit affected by the dusty pathway. The cloak clasped at his neck with a silver serpentine broach encrusted with emeralds that glinted and glowed in the sunlight, and was cast over one shoulder in a manner that suggested pompous vanity, yet somehow made him all the more attractive. As he passed the gargoyle guarded gates to Hogwarts, however, the exquisite quality of his appearance could not hide the merciless harshness of his clear blue eyes.  
Malfoy's long strides soon carried him up the front steps, and just as he raised a silver headed cane to rap upon the doors, they opened silently before him. With a look of slight surprise, laced heavily with disenchanted amusement, he marched over the threshold. Malfoy stopped when he reached the center of the entrance hall, hesitating slightly, the crisp October sun warming his fur coated back uncomfortably.  
"Welcome, Lucius Malfoy." A booming voice greeted him. For a moment the young man was disoriented, and the voice seemed to emanate from the walls of the castle itself. But then he saw the man on the staircase and regained his haughty composure.  
"And such a lovely welcome it is," Malfoy returned, his voice resonant and cultured, with a long, smooth, drawl. "I daresay it's nice to be back in the old Alma Mater." though his voice said differently, and he was only partly able to disguise the derisive sneer which threatened to break through his lips.  
"No need to waste unnecessary pleasantries on my behalf, Lucius, it does not become you." The man who spoke was Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was tall and thin, with improbably long white hair, and a beard to match. He wore deep amethyst robes that were covered in twinkling stars and planets, and if you watched him long enough, you would swear you saw them traversing the cloth, as if truly in orbit. His half moon spectacles sat delicately on his long crooked nose, and above them danced his sky blue eyes, eyes which seemed to belie his age.  
"I will assume then, Headmaster, that you know why I am here."  
"Yes Lucius, I was alerted to your coming by the Ministry. I believe that my office would be the most appropriate place to conduct this meeting," Dumbledore said, turning to walk up the stairs, "if you would follow me, we can get to business directly." And without another glance backwards, the headmaster continued up the stairway. Malfoy hesitated for a moment, his dislike of the headmaster growing by the minute, then strode up the stairs after Dumbledore.  
As they walked in silence through the castle Malfoy could hear the drone of teachers lecturing behind closed classroom doors, and the chatter of students practicing incantations and charms. He was brought back, though not fondly, to his own school days, so recently passed. Dumbledore had been very newly appointed when he was at school, having been the transfiguration teacher for many years previously. Malfoy had disliked the man since the day he set foot in the school. The dislike was an inheritance from his own father, but Malfoy found more ways every day to justify it.   
Dumbledore was the essence of understanding and tolerance. He had new fangled ideas about acceptance of all people, muggles and wizards alike. His only desire in life seemed to be to pass on knowledge to generations of school children. He was a powerful wizard, so powerful many called him the greatest wizard of the time, and he was still young, by great wizard standards. This in itself would have been of trivial importance to Malfoy, as he was a very powerful wizard himself and just barely 23; no, it was the apparent lack of ambition in Dumbledore that was so unsettling to Malfoy. A wizard that powerful and accomplished should be clamoring for the world, trying to overthrow the Ministry, at least expressing some desire to control other people. But no, Dumbledore's only concern appeared to be for the students in his school, and every student too, not just the ones from established wizarding families. Dumbledore was letting in all sorts of riff-raff these days. Malfoy seethed inside at the thought of it; this was getting out of hand, and he was here to set gears in motion to stop it.   
Lost in thought, Malfoy was caught off guard when the man in front of him finally stopped. "Pepper Imp." Dumbledore said to the stone gargoyle that stood in the niche in the wall in front of them. With a deep rumbling sound, the gargoyle began rotating slowly upward, followed by a spiraling stone staircase. Dumbledore stepped on and motioned Malfoy to follow him. The staircase came to a stop in front of a heavy wooden door. Dumbledore took a step forward and the door swung open in front of him. Malfoy followed, and stepped into the headmasters office. The room he stepped into was circular, with at least three visible tiers reaching up into the tower, and the walls were covered with bookshelves, display cases with glass doors, and hundreds of portraits, all of which greeted Dumbledore warmly as he entered. The cases were full of delicate silver instruments, ancient magical relics and artifacts, and dozens of other magical devises. Directly in front of the door was Dumbledore's desk, and beyond that a double stairway that led up to the first tier. This level wrapped around the rim of the room, providing access to the millions of books that stood on bookshelves lining the walls. It also led to what appeared to be an observatory. "Please, sit," Dumbledore said, indicating a handsome leather chair in front of the desk. He himself tucked his beard into his belt and settled into his own enormous chair. Malfoy removed his cloak and hung it on a conspicuous looking coat rack to the right of Dumbledore's desk, then sat and reclined back luxuriously in the chair.   
"So," Dumbledore began, "you are here on Ministry business. Presumably to discuss my support of the proposed Registration Act."   
"Yes, that is correct. I am heading the campaign, as I'm sure you know, and we have all agreed that your support in this matter is essential. As it is you who currently oversees the acceptance procedures at this institution, we would prefer your cooperation. In the event that cooperation is not an option, you must know that restrictions will be set upon you in accordance with the new law. However, we feel at the Ministry that a peaceable agreement would be more beneficial to both organizations." Malfoy smiled widely at Dumbledore.   
"Yes, I'm sure you do," Dumbledore muttered almost to himself. He was gazing at Malfoy in a way that made the young man feel as though he was reading his mind. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, his eyes dropping away from the penetrating stare of the Headmaster.   
"You are familiar with the proposed guidelines of the Registration Act?" he said.   
"I am, but please, remind me again. If I am to agree to this, I should have a secure grasp on it don't you think?" a small twinkle was apparent in Dumbledores' eye, and Malfoy knew that the man was mocking him slightly. He decided to ignore it.   
"Well, as you know, the law is being proposed to ensure the safety of our, er—non-magic community members. We are proposing the registration of all muggle families who are raising wizard children, or who are married into wizarding families. By registration I mean that we would keep records of names, addresses, birthdates, etc. The purpose of this of course, would be to keep tabs on the families, make sure they are up to the task of raising a magically gifted child, make sure they are not exploiting the powers in any way, and just generally keep an eye on them."   
"Yes, yes, just another way of controlling one more group of people." Dumbledore sighed.  
"Now Dumbledore, control is a harsh word. These laws won't restrict the muggles in any way, or harm them. It is in place for their protection."   
"Protection from what Lucius? From their magical children? From their wizard in-laws? Or is it protection from them that you seek, Lucius?"   
"No, Dumbledore," Malfoy said, any trace of friendliness gone from his face, "the Ministry is simply interested in protecting what is rightfully theirs. Magic. We want to protect the sanctity of magic. The gift that is ours should stay ours!" His eyes were ablaze with cold fury, and he sprung to his feet, slamming his fists down on the front of Dumbledore's desk. At this gesture there was an outcry from the portraits, who all happened to be previous headmasters and mistresses of Hogwarts. "Outrageous behavior!" "No manner's whatsoever!" "I've never seen the likes of this, not from a Malfoy!" Malfoy straightened up, visibly trying to relax himself. He took a step back from the desk and brushed a strand of hair from his face.   
"I see, Dumbledore," he said in a measured tone, "that the Ministry will not be able to count on your cooperation in this matter."   
"If my cooperation means the endorsement of a law that will allow the Ministry to dog tag innocent people in order to control their motives and actions, then you most certainly will not have it. If my cooperation means I should stop admitting gifted students of non-magic parenthood into this school, then again and ever more so Lucius, my answer is and always will be, NO." Though the headmaster had not risen from his seat, nor raised his voice, his eyes radiated power like the blue flames of a fire. For a moment, fire met ice as the younger man clashed gazes with him, but then Malfoy averted his eyes and reached for his cloak.   
"I will assume this means our meeting is over. I would not want to keep you from your precious charges any longer." And with that he turned on his heel and marched from the office.  
"I say," said the portrait of an elderly wizard with a long pipe as the door shut behind him, "the Ministry has gone too far this time, too far indeed."   
"Well really it's that young Malfoy," replied a witch in a purple robe, "they've always been purists and evil to boot, but that one really has his ambitions set."   
"Yes," said Dumbledore, suddenly sounding very tired, "ambitious, and clever. Two things that are never a good combination."

Once Malfoy had descended the stairway and stepped into the hall he stopped for a moment. Dumbledore's response, while not unexpected, had infuriated him. For a moment, the old man had actually made him feel wrong, and Malfoy was never wrong. The other thing that bothered him was that deep inside, he knew that Dumbledore would see straight through this scheme, if he hadn't already. The Ministry was blind to his goals, and seemed dumb enough to stay that way. Malfoy had powerful friends, strong allies, and this game they were playing would reveal it's true nature in due course. But Dumbledore would be a difficult obstacle. Malfoy wondered if even now Dumbledore was planning counter measures that would bring trouble to his allies. But none of this was of immediate importance; the first thing to do was get this law passed. And it would happen for him, he grinned finally as he imagined this accomplishment.  
"Malfoy!" the call brought him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see who had called him, and spotted in the throng of students a tall, skinny, sallow looking teen striding towards him. Classes must have just let out, because he was suddenly swallowed in a sea of students; many of the older ones glancing at him curiously, and some of the girls running past in fits of giggles, throwing smoldering looks at him over their shoulders.   
"Severus," he replied as the boy approached, "it is good to see you. How are your parents?" he asked, a smile seeping into his features.   
"Fine actually, my dad hasn't quite managed to kill my mum yet, but thank you so much for caring." The youth replied with a glare.   
"Now, now Severus, bitterness will get you no where."   
"Yeah," Severus snorted, "so what brings you to dear old Hogwarts?" he inquired.   
"Oh, a matter of state to attend to with the Headmaster. Nothing interesting I can assure you, Master Snape. Although he did manage to make a fool of me, and my mood is not in the least bit good at the moment."   
"I see, matters of state did you say?" Snape said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not an idiot you know Malfoy, it's not been so long since you and your gang left this place. I may have been good at not being noticed, but I am also good at noticing things, and hearing things..." Malfoy considered the boy for a moment, absently rubbing the silver head of his cane.   
"You graduate this year, do you not, Severus?" he asked suddenly.   
"Yes."   
"Indeed," mused Malfoy, "I believe it is time to pay a visit to your father. You will be needing continued training after your escape from this place." He fell silent for a moment, gazing off into space seemingly deep in thought.   
"I would not recommend a visit to my father Malfoy," Snape said, bringing the man out of his reverie, "he doesn't like to be reminded of my presence, really of the fact that I exist for that matter. No, if you have something of my future to discuss, I suggest you come to me. Independence is a treasured commodity in my family." The younger man spat this out contemptuously, the bitterness and hurt apparent in his dark features. Malfoy considered him hard for a moment; it was apparent that this youth was desperate for a chance to prove himself. He needed a father figure, or someone powerful to look up to. Indeed...someone powerful. This time Malfoy's thoughts were distracted by a shout from the stairwell behind them.   
"Oy, Snivellus! I see you've found a friend," a tall dark headed boy yelled. "I thought the point of graduating was to get out of this place, but it seems some of us need additional schooling, eh Malfoy?" The boy had now reached the foot of the stairway and the crowd around them quieted, students slowing to catch the show. The speaker was Sirius Black, a handsome youth who's dark hair and chiseled face were accented by piercingly intelligent dark eyes. He had the lean graceful body of an athlete, perhaps a runner, or a swimmer. The look in his dark eyes now was one of utmost loathing, and was matched viciously by Malfoy.   
"I have important business here, Black, of which you would regrettably know nothing about. It is a shame how poorly your generation seems to respect their parents, or listen to them for that matter. I would have thought your proud and noble heritage might have had some effect on you, but apparently you seem to have forsaken it," as he said this another student appeared at Black's shoulder, "and I see you have taken up a, ah, dirtier pathway." He finished, spitting these last words with incredible malice. A cry came from Black and he moved as though to lunge at Malfoy. The boy at his shoulder grabbed the back of his robes assisted by another youth that seemed to materialize out of the crowd.   
"Shut your mouth Malfoy!" Black spit back, then slapping at his friends, "and let go of me, James! Remus!!"   
"If you stay put, we'll let go," the boy named James said under his breath, easing his grip on his friends' robes. However, he then turned to Snape, "Finally found the biggest bully in the playground huh, Snivellus?" he said with utmost loathing. "I guess Malfoy could use your talents, seeing as they all involve insulting and degrading other people."   
"Shut up Potter," Snape shot right back, "at least I have pride. At least I'm not some filthy little mudblood loving pet of Dumbledore's!" the crowd had gone completely silent, and the opposing parties stood a good ten feet apart, glaring daggers at each other, with an almost palpable heat of anger separating them.   
"Well my family may accept people for more than their just their blood, but at least my parents know the meaning of love, and my father doesn't beat my mother." James said this with an icy calmness in his voice. Before Snape could throw another insult at James though, an unexpected sound broke the silence: laughter, a girls laughter, floated down the staircase toward them. At the sound of it James spun sharply on his heel; he knew who that sound belonged to, and she was the last person who needed to walk in on this scene. The two girls descending the stairway seemed to have noticed that something was wrong, because they had stopped talking and as they came into view, slowed and then halted on the stairs. The girl who had laughed was Lily Evans, a slender red head, with bright, almost shocking green eyes. Her friend, Alice Parker, was petite and curvy, with thick dirty blonde hair and grey eyes. Lily seemed to take in the scene in a moments glance.   
"What's going on?" she asked tentatively, looking between James and Severus.   
"Nothing Lily, nothing's going on." James said quickly, but he was run over immediately by Snape.   
"Just exchanging the usual insults." He sneered at her, "So glad you could join us, we were just getting to the good part," he paused here, as if for dramatic affect, "the part about families. I believe you might have something interesting to contribute, hmmm?" the sneer had grown now into an evil grin, and Malfoy seemed to be sharing in the same private joke because his eyes danced dangerously as they took in Lily.   
"Don't you dare talk to her like that!" this time it was James who tried to lunge at Severus. Sirius and Remus leapt to catch him.   
"Now, now, Potter, you know the rules against fighting in the hallways, that is, unless they've changed since I've left." Malfoy said. "I believe that Ms. Evans has a right to defend herself if she wishes, and certainly her family as well." As he said this his eyes moved once more to gaze at the rigid red head, taking all of her in, in one insolent look.   
"You disgust me Malfoy, I'm amazed that you have set foot back in this castle. I know why you are here and it is sickening." She seemed to be frozen in anger. Alice was looking at her fearfully, knowing how her best friend felt about anything that had to do with her muggle parents. Lily was the strongest and most opinionated person she had ever met, but she was also fragile, and sensitive when it came to some things.   
"Well, well," smirked Malfoy, "Ms. Evans, you seem to have a passionate opinion about this. I wonder, why ever could that be?" knowing full well that his presence here reminded her of what he was trying to get accomplished, and what that might mean for her family.   
"I said don't' speak to Lily that way Malfoy," James repeated, but this time he had his wand out, held at arms length and pointed at Malfoy, "if I have to repeat it again you will be sorry."   
"James," said Remus softly, as if trying to pacify his friend.   
"Yes, Potter," said Malfoy, his face now an ugly mask of hate. "I would listen to your friend. Besides, I must be getting on, it's late, and this trip has already taken more than enough of my valuable time. Ms. Evans, I do hope we might meet again, and perhaps discuss this more, I would be fascinated to hear your point of view...fascinated..."   
"You are evil and sickening Malfoy. If I ever speak to you alone you will be sorry." Lily said this without the slightest trace of emotion, and Malfoy marveled for a moment at her strength.   
"Well Severus, it has been an enlightening visit, I will be in touch," and with that Lucious Malfoy turned on his heel and swept down the grand staircase and out the front doors.  
  
Frustrated, Lily kicked a pebble into the lake, which promptly hit the basking squid on a lazy tentacle. The squid retreated reproachfully to a further bank of the lake. Stopping for a moment, Lily gazed around the grounds; students from all years were lounging under trees, sitting along the edge of the lake, playing Gobbstones and Chess; a couple of muggle born wizards were tossing a Frisbee (though the strong gusts of wind blowing down from the mountains were making this more difficult every minute), as their Hogwarts friends looked on incredulously. However, nothing outside looked appealing at the moment, and it was beginning to grow chilly. It was a Friday afternoon; she had no immediate homework to attend to, and she was growing restless. Without really thinking about it she strolled up to the castle and into the entrance hall.  
"Lily. Hey, Lilith!!" Snapping out of her reverie, the red headed girl realized that someone was calling her name. At hearing her full name, Lilith, she knew it could only be her best friend Alice. Looking up she saw Alice beckoning her from the marble staircase. "Are you with us, Lil?" she inquired laughingly. Alice had developed over the last few years into a more womanly figure than Lily, something which she often envied her friend, but as Alice put it, what Lily lacked in curves she made up for in grace and stature. "So what's up with you?" Alice asked her friend as Lily climbed the staircase.  
"Other than wanting to kick some serious slytherin tail?" she said darkly "Ha ha," laughed her friend sarcastically, "I did mean other than that." "James," Lily said, throwing a glance down into the entrance hall where James and Sirius had begun a mock wrestling match.  
"Potter! Black! I realize that a Friday can be cause for celebration, although they do not seem to be in particularly short supply, but I must insist that you take that primitive rough housing OUT side!" Professor McGonagal's stern voice could be heard echoing through the hallway. James and Sirius looked up, James held tightly in a headlock.  
"Sorry Professor," Sirius replied, relinquishing his hold on his friend, and sounding earnest, "Just needed to burn off some steam. You know, so I don't' actually end up harming someone I really do dislike, as opposed to pretending to beat up on and hate my best friend here." James straightened up, struggling to keep a straight face while trying to look sincere.  
"Well," McGonagal muttered under her breath, obviously trying to work out what on earth Black was saying and if he could possibly have been serious. At that moment however, Remus Lupin entered the front hall and the three boys strolled off towards the Great Hall, Peter hurrying in their wake.  
"Ah yes," said Alice with a sigh and slight smile, "Well, let's go sit in the tower shall we?" and she headed off up the stairs, Lily following a reluctant second behind.  
  
The two girls climbed staircase after staircase, following the well worn pathway to their favorite hideout: the perfect place for a bit of girl talk, or undisturbed studying, or simply to get away from the crowds of students in the building. Lily had discovered it while James was showing her a map he and his friends had created in their 5th year and christened the 'Marauder's Map'. She knew they had devised it after their many exploits around the grounds and castle itself while out at the full moon with Lupin. These were both things that she was not technically supposed to know, but James's infatuation with her over the years had led him to confide in her about things he normally wouldn't have. For instance, as soon as the Marauder's Map had been created he couldn't keep such an achievement inside, and had immediately shown it to her in secret. Although she had not admitted it at the time, she was deeply impressed. The map was a piece of very complicated magic, and she was sure that not many wizards had the knowledge or even patience to create something like it. The map showed the layout of the Hogwarts castle and grounds, including any secret passageways or doors. It also showed the inhabitants of the castle in their present locations as tiny labeled dots. It was obviously a tool used for rule breaking, but it had also proven to have several practical applications. At the time that James had shown Lily the map, he had been so busy impressing her that he didn't notice she was keenly eying the map, looking at all the secret passageways and rooms. It was here that she saw a tower that appeared empty. The entrance to it was hidden behind a girls lavatory stall, and Lily had sneaking suspicion that she and Alice would not be the first friends to use it as a secret getaway. It was perfectly hidden, as girls, who are usually less inclined to rule breaking, do not go looking for secret passages and doors in every place they encounter.  
Today the bathroom was again deserted. This was not surprising, as the bathroom was notorious for being haunted by the ghost of teenage girl who had died there about ten years ago. The ghost had earned herself the name "Moaning Myrtle" because of her incessant wailing and whining. She seemed to think that there was nothing more enjoyable than sobbing and sniffling miserably to anyone who would listen. Fortunately, this kept most girls out of the bathroom, unless it was an absolute emergency. However, as Lily and Alice had soon found out, Myrtle was usually not in the bathroom either, so they had yet to answer any awkward questions. Taking out her wand Lily and Alice squeezed into the stall. Lily tapped the wall behind the toilet and whispered "Alohamora". She had thought it particularly clever that whoever has created this entrance used the simple and common unlocking spell to open the secret doorway. While most wizards knew the spell, it was only supposed to work on something that you could see was obviously locked; so if one didn't know the door was there, they would hardly chance to utter "Alohamora" at a solid wall. Today she watched absent mindedly as for the thousandth time the wall in front of them slowly and silently opened like a pair of double doors, revealing a tightly spiraling staircase. As Alice and Lily stepped onto the foot of the stairs, they began to move slowly up like an escalator, the same way they did at the entrance to the Headmasters office.  
The girls stepped off the stairs into a small circular room. The ceiling was cone shaped, and was home to the odd owl, especially when the Owlery grew too crowded. The floor was paneled with a warm, soft colored wood, and worn to a dull sheen from years of wear. The walls were hung with tapestries, similar to those in the Gryffindor common room, and torches burned in elaborate brackets around the windows, of which there were many. A worn and rickety table stood to one side flanked by three chairs. The room also contained a number of old but comfortable cushions, scattered around the floor; a rocking chair by one of the windows; a bookshelf stuffed to bursting with books of every kind; and also, for some reason, a small but magnificent canopied bed. When they had first seen the room, furnished as it still was, Lily and Alice had wondered if it wasn't perhaps a Professors room. But that idea had been quickly extinguished, as the entrance to it was behind a students bathroom stall. Lily had sensed there was a history to the room, and that it had lain untouched for a long time, but this simply added to majesty and mystery of the room, and made it that more dear to her. The bed had proven useful, for sleepovers and afternoon naps. In recent months however, after much discussion, it had also provided a useful place for Alice and her boyfriend to meet. Lily had been opposed to this idea at first, since it was their sacred feminine sanctuary, but in the end had given in; she really liked Frank, and they didn't use it often, and as Alice pointed out, there was bound to be a day soon when Lily would want the room to herself as well. Lily had thought that Alice said this with a slightly ominous air, and realized that her friend was trying to urge her in that direction. Looking at the bed Lily scowled and plopped down in the rocking chair by the window.  
"So talk to me, what's eating you today?" Alice asked kindly, settling herself on the bed, "James?"  
"Of course James. He's so exasperating." Alice smirked; Lily always used the most complicated word to describe a situation. It had annoyed her at first, as Alice was never the brainy type, like Lily, but still, once she got used to it, it became one of those endearing little idiosyncrasies she adored about her friend. "I mean, today, there he was, sitting under that tree by the lake, with that darn snitch that he stole, letting it fly away so he can catch it, and practice those already flawless reflexes he has...and always messing up his hair, so that it looks all windswept, and so good!" As much as the fact that he did it annoyed her, she couldn't help but think it was attractive. It was unavoidable that he was just that good at Quidditch. She was a good flyer herself, and maybe that was why she appreciated it so much. And while he wasn't the best looking boy in the year, Sirius was certainly the gorgeous one, there was something about that long, lean frame of his, and those catlike hazel eyes, and that untidy black hair—she knew she had to face the fact that she liked James Potter.  
"Look Lil," Alice said gently, "I know how you feel about James. He's really a great guy. I know, I know," she said as Lily opened her mouth to contradict the statement, "Just hear me out OK? He's a great guy. He's intelligent, way beyond his year, like you. He's good at Quidditch, plain and simple. He's good looking, not in that drop-dead-gorgeous way, but still, intriguing. And when he's not playing games with the boys, or showing off for girls, or" her face darkening "being a git to Snape, he's a genuinely nice guy."  
"Yes, but how do you know? I mean, that scene earlier, the way he looked, it was scary. It was like he was as bad as Snape and Malfoy, judging them the same way they judge him, and ready to resort to violence if he had to. I just don't understand him sometimes." Lily appreciated her friends concern, but just wasn't sure what to believe.  
"Well, Frank talks about him. They are actually on really good terms. I know they don't really hang out, but they get together for homework and stuff, when Sirius feels too high and mighty to study, and Frank says that he's really pleasant to be around."  
"Really? Frank thinks that?" this gave Lily reason to pause. She had always been jealous of Alice and Frank. He was the perfect guy, generous, sweet, and caring. He didn't seem to have an ego, and was the perfect gentleman.  
"Really, so don't worry yourself about him. I know that display in the hallway was despicable, but really, I mean, you saw how Snape was to you, and you can't imagine that James started that conversation anyway. Snape is just evil Lil, evil, and that's not to mention Malfoy. He makes my skin crawl. So don't judge James on that, he doesn't really threaten other people all that much. And he does genuinely like you, I mean really like you." At this Lily couldn't help but grin. The grin got bigger and more foolish as she thought about James liking her, and it wasn't long before both she and Alice dissolved into giggles.  
"Come on Lil," Alice said, trying to stop laughing, "let's get to work on this transfiguration. I still can't manage to change my hedgehog completely." So the girls pulled out their books and Alice pulled the hedgehog she had swiped from class out of her bag and set it on the table. Lily stole one last furtive glance at the bed and pushed her fantasies aside. She still had three essays and a chapter of charms to get through, and fantasies of James on the bed were not going to help her.  
  
Lily and Alice practiced until darkness had fallen outside, completely forgetting about dinner. After an hour or so, Alice had finally managed to turn her Hedgehog into a rose bush, and Lily had made her practice until she could do it every time. Then Lily had left Alice to her Herbology, while she proceeded on to Ancient Runes. It was half past eight when Alice finally dragged Lily out of her book and they began to gather their stuff.  
"We really need to set up some sort of alarm up here, for times like this," Alice commented as they moved down the staircase. "If we're not careful we'll be caught out after hours by Filch!" Lily mused at her friend's idea. It did seem miraculous that they had never once been caught in the two years they had been using the room. It was true that when she got lost in a book and Alice got lost practicing a spell, time passed without either of them paying it any attention. As it was, they only had barely twenty minutes to reach their common rooms, neither of which was in the same vicinity of the castle as their tower. On the third floor they split up, Alice going down the stairs to the Hufflepuff common room, and Lily proceeding up towards the Gryffindor tower. She was lost in thought as she passed someone in the hall, and didn't pay attention until she was snapped out of her reverie by a smooth, drawling voice.  
"Why Evans," the man said to her back, "where are you off to at this hour of the night? Perhaps I should call Filch, and alert him to the presence of an out of bounds student." The taunting voice belonged to Lucius Malfoy, and Lily apprehensively turned to look him in the eye.  
"I don't remember it being any of your business where and when I go where I do, Malfoy." She retorted coolly.  
"Oh, my mistake" mocked Lucius, moving slowly closer to her. "I guess I thought after our encounter earlier you might have something to say to me. Perhaps a threat, a curse...maybe even a jinx or two. You really were quite convincing you know." He was advancing slowly toward her, "but then again, I should have known, those were just the idle threats of a worthless little mudblood like yourself!" Lily gasped sharply at the insult. It had not been thrown at her often since her coming to Hogwarts, and she never got used to hearing it. "That's right," he said, and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her closer to his sneering face, "I called you a mudblood, and there's no Potter here to stick up for you this time." His bright, blue eyes seemed to pierce through her as she struggled to free herself from his grip.  
"Let me go Lucius!" she gasped.  
"Oh? On a first name basis are we, Lily? No, I don't think I will." He raised one hand to brush a stray hair from her face, "you know, it's a shame you aren't a clean, pure wizard...you are devastatingly beautiful." His light eyes met cruelly with her bright green eyes, and she stopped struggling suddenly. Her eyes widened in fear.  
"Don't do anything stupid Lucius." Her voice trembled as she leaned away from him, "We're in the middle of a hallway." She wanted to look around, run away from him, anything, but his eyes had her locked in a deadly stare.  
"Oh but it's late dear sweet Lily, or didn't you notice? Most self respecting students are in their common rooms where they are supposed to be, aren't they?" With that he pushed her up against the wall, in between a painting of an elderly man who seemed to be asleep, and a suit of amour. She felt him crush his body against hers; felt his warm, heavy breath on her face; smelled his clean, perfumed, aristocratic scent; felt his groin digging lustfully into her stomach. He leaned in and smelled her hair, "No wonder Potter has been after you for so long, you are delicious...and untainted..." he taunted her softly. "I know why you resist him, where most girls would dash at a chance to be his slave," he was now whispering in her ear, "that's right, virgin-saint-Evans. Your reputation precedes you, even outside of school. Besides, don't think I didn't watch you when I was here; you were always so self respecting and proper. Don't want that chaste reputation to go down the drain now do we?" Lily was beginning to panic; when Malfoy had pushed her into the wall he had pinned her arms behind her back, and she could not access her wand. With one hand he held her arms firmly behind her back, and he was strong, there was no chance she could break free. The other beautifully manicured hand began to snake up her thigh. Repulsed and horrified she gasped and struggled, but he was too powerful for her. His fingers teasingly grazed between her legs, and the touch sent a terrible shock wave through her body. With a lightning realization, she knew that while she was terrified for her life, and hated Lucius and what he stood for more than anything, she wanted to be had in the way this man wanted to have her. Her teenage body was crying out to be touched as her mind cried out to be away from this nightmare.  
"Yes," Malfoy breathed tantalizingly into her ear, "you want it don't you? As much as you hate me, you want me too. Just like as much as I loathe your mudblood, I want you. I want to posses you!" His hand now roughly caressed her stomach and reached up towards her breasts. At this she tried to lash out and bite him, do anything to get away, but this just seemed to excite him more. She could feel him rise against her and was disgusted. In one swift movement he released her hands and tore open her shirt, and had her pinned down again before she had had time to think. The maneuver made her wonder in horror how many other girls had fallen prey to this beautiful monsters hands. Just as she thought this, she also thought she heard someone coming. Malfoy was now consumed by her exposed breasts and was caressing them, cupping them, teasing them, turning her on against her will. But he was too occupied to hear the approaching footsteps that Lily was now hearing. Desperately she cried out.  
"Help! Someone, please he—," but she was cut off by Malfoy slapping her hard across the face.  
"Lily?! Hey! Let go of her now! Locomotor Mortis!" she heard someone yell and suddenly Lucius fell to the floor, his limbs locked together motionless. Trembling, Lily looked up to see James running towards her. His face looked almost as frightened as hers, and as he approached her he grabbed her shirt and pulled it shut looking earnestly into her eyes. "Are you OK?" His voice trembled slightly, and she saw real fear and horror in his face.  
"Yes-I mean, No-No-I'm not hurt..." she finally managed to gasp out, and then collapsed onto him, and he grabbed her to stop her from falling. After a moment, when they had both stopped breathing so hard, James seemed to remember that Malfoy was at his feet. He turned quickly and pointed his wand down at the immobile form sneering up at him.  
"I don't even know a curse that would come close to what you deserve!" he snarled, his face suddenly a horrible mask of hatred and anger. Lily hugged closer to him, scared of what he might do, but at the same time wishing it would be something terrible. Malfoy laughed quietly.  
"I do," he offered back, a devilish grin on his face. "But then again, three years in the real world will teach you how to- ah- adequately defend yourself. Release me Potter!" Lucius demanded, and his tone was suddenly more commanding and powerful than anything James had ever heard. Almost against his will it seemed, James raised his wand and muttered "Finito Incantatem". Malfoy's limbs relaxed and after a moment he gracefully returned to his feet.  
"Yes, Potter," Lucius quietly spat, "I am powerful, you would do well to remember that." His eyes glinted dangerously, and his face held a cool sort of anger, hiding just behind his elegant façade. James was starring daggers at Malfoy, and for a moment the young mans dangerous gaze faltered. It was as if for a moment he saw a flicker of something disconcerting in James face.  
"James, please, let's go..." Lily whispered hoarsely, she just wanted to put as much distance between herself and this hallway as possible now. James looked at her, and then his face softened slightly, and turned worried again. He turned away from Lucius and guided her away up another staircase. As they left Lucius called out to their retreating backs, "Don't make the mistake of thinking that this encounter will go unreported. You attacked an employee of the Ministry of Magic. It is not wise for school boys to meddle in things they know nothing of!" but Lily and James had begun ascending a stairway and were ignoring him.  
"It's after hours, Lily," James said gently, "we need to get out of the halls." He sensed that she might not want to go back to the noisy, crowded Gryffindor common room, and for that she was grateful. As she thought about it, that was the last place she wanted to be. She needed somewhere quiet, somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way. Of course she knew she needed her secret tower...but to take James there now?  
"There's a place Alice and I know about, I'd like to go there...if that's ok..." she trailed, off not knowing what she wanted.  
"Sure it is Lil," James said gently. At the use of the pet name, Lily's eyes darted to his for a moment, quizzically. "Just hold on a tic." At that James guided her into an empty classroom and sat her at a desk. Then he pulled a mirror out of his pocket and breathed on it, muttering "Sirius" as he did so. Intrigued, Lily watched as the mirror turned milky then revealed the common room, with Sirius's face.  
"What's up Prongs?" the handsome boy asked carelessly.  
"Padfoot, it was Malfoy again," James said darkly. The look on Sirius's face instantly changed.  
"Just now? God, the same again?" he said sharply. James glanced ever so slightly at Lily, "Yes, the same." "Bloody hell...alright, what do you need?" there was suddenly uncharacteristic concern and urgency in his voice. "I need you to get the cloak and nick down to the Puff's and find Alice and Frankie. I'm waiting in the old Charms classroom. Let me know if you get held up."


	2. Beginnings

A/N: Palani here...so, i'm not the best at keeping things updated, and since this is my first fanfic attempt, bear with me. Chapt 3 is actually already half done, and should be posted soon, but if no one reviews I just might forget (empty threat, the chapters will keep coming:) ) anyway, feedback of any sort is more than welcome, i do have ideas, but it's nice to hear what other people think...who knows where this is going either it kinda just comes out of the fingers...so watch out!! also, i realize that the first chapter (and this one as well) have alot of sexual content, but i'm trying to get away from that and into the plot of the story...don't worry, the relationship stuff won't go away, it'll just come and go intermitently :)

Moo: thank you so much for reviewing, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...i hope i keep you interested enough to read as i post.

Pheonixash137: yay, love ya lots, have you posted new stuff yet? of course, how could i forget, mione and draco sittin in a tree...i am rather rough on his dad though aren't i? and it just gets better from here!

Disclaimer: ok, so i forgot to put a disclaimer on the last chapter, but i do not own any of the characters or plot lines suggested by JK Rowlings writings, however, i do own my own plot lines and any characters that you don't recognize :)

Chapter 2

When Sirius had left, James sat at a desk opposite Lily, his mind seething with anger. The injustice, the horror, of what he had just stopped still rang clear in his mind. He knew that Lily was a strong girl, young woman really, and if Malfoy had gotten any farther he would probably not have come away completely unscathed. He had made a mental note of how Malfoy had taken magic out of the picture by pinning Lily's hands away from her wand. This had given him a small satisfaction, Malfoy knew that if Lily had had use of her wand he would have been the one in trouble. Lily was sitting still in her chair, gazing blankly ahead, her arms wrapped around her knees. Long, thick, auburn hair fell down her back, and the torchlight from the hallway was glinting off of it like a sheet of copper. Flickers from the flame caught also the green light of her eyes, accenting their brightness, and clarity. James mused at how unscathed she seemed. She was not crying, or trembling, or showing discomfort of any kind. She was simply sitting, apparently lost in thought, or out of thought, perhaps in meditation even, James could not tell. He watched as the light on her hair revealed her back rising and falling in steady breaths, and realized just how beautiful she was to him.

He had known her since their first year at Hogwarts. She had come alone, from a muggle family. He noticed her first in the train station, at Kings Cross with his parents. He had seen her family approaching the platform, her mother holding her hand as if to comfort her. James remembered thinking that this girl looked more poised and relaxed than her mother, and felt that the hand was really just a mother's way of holding on for a little bit longer. He listened as Mr. Evans asked the porter politely if there was a platform

9 ¾ at the station. The porter rather haughtily asked the man to not bother him with silly questions. James's father had then beckoned to the Evans', "I see you have a young wizard among you?" he said kindly, gazing down at Lily.

"Yes," Mrs. Evans beamed at her red-haired daughter, "our youngest, Lilith, got her letter this summer." It was only then that James noticed the other girl, standing reluctantly behind her parents. This girl was obviously older, perhaps 13, perhaps 14, and she was pale and blonde, a striking contrast to her vibrant sister. But it was the expression on her face that struck James the most. It was look of utmost loathing and horror. She gazed guardedly at James and his parents as if they were dangerous and unknown. Her beaming parents did not seem to notice, but she kept away from Lily as if she were infected with a highly contagious disease.

"Well," said James' mother, "that's ever so wonderful. It's always nice to meet new parents. If you would like to follow us onto the platform then...?" she asked openly.

"Actually, we're in a bit of a hurry ourselves," Mrs. Evans replied. "I don't' suppose you could take Lily from here? It's just that Petunia has a train to catch as well. She's starting at St. Mary's preparatory this year." She waved a hand at her blonde daughter.

"Of course we can help her from here!" Mr. Potter exclaimed. "By the way, we didn't introduce ourselves," he held out a hand, "Harold Potter, and this is my wife, Jaima, our son James, he's starting this year as well."

"And we're the Evans, Martin," Mr. Evans indicated at himself and his wife, "and Roslyn, Petunia, and Lilith, here." James looked across at the girl in front of him. She looked back, smiling, and all the sudden he had felt very excited to be going to Hogwarts this year. The Evans said a slightly tearful goodbye to their daughter, but Petunia stood in the shadow and didn't as much as wave at her sister before they departed in the other direction.

"Now Lily, I think it would be best if you went first. All you have to do is walk towards that barrier, and next thing you know, you'll be right through." Mr. Potter was saying. Lily broke her gaze with James and thanked his father, and grabbing her trolley she shook her hair and strolled casually through the barrier. "That young girl is a natural, she is." James's father said as they walked forward themselves. "You might end up learning a thing or two from her at school this year!" he said with a mischievous smile, cuffing his son playfully about the head.

They came out on the other side, as many nervous first years said goodbye to their families and apprehensively boarded the crimson Hogwarts Express. The platform was noisy and crowded, and James looked about for a gleam of red hair that would point him to Lily. He found it already boarding the train. Hurriedly he had turned to his parents to say goodbye, but of course they took forever; his mother fussing about robes and making sure he had his wand safely pocketed, and that he hadn't forgotten his owl. Finally escaping as the whistle sounded, James had run to the first open compartment door and scrambled on. He waved goodbye to his parents, then darted inside, intent on finding Lily Evans.

He found her to his dismay, in a compartment full of girls. It seemed that a few second or third years had sisters that would be starting in his year, and they were now inducting the new girls into Hogwarts life.

"First thing that will happen when we get there," a rather bossy looking brunette was saying, "is the sorting, where you'll be put into your houses, you know." She said this matter of factly, and James watched as Lily's eyes grew wide with excitement, and perhaps he saw the slightest glint of fear as well.

There was no fear in them now he observed, just confusion, and perhaps a bit of sadness. James shook his head slightly, to clear his mind. If he had known the meaning of the word love on that day in the train station, he knew it would have been love at first sight.

Lily sat in the desk across from James and stared ahead blankly. Her mind though it should have been reeling, felt as though it had turned to molasses, and didn't want to think about anything. Besides, at the moment, she didn't know what to think. She wasn't afraid, though she felt she should be; she wasn't angry, but she knew that would come; she didn't feel violated, and couldn't figure out why. Most of all she was confused. Recalling the whole attack, she was appalled to find that at times, she had wanted Malfoy to succeed. It was as if some deep dark fantasy she had was being fulfilled, even though everything in her mind screamed at her it was wrong. It was not like it had been a perfect stranger; she had known Lucius Malfoy when he was at school, two years ahead of her.

Like most girls at the time, she had admired Malfoy. He was one of those good looking boys that you just couldn't help but notice. He was tall, with alabaster skin, lustrous white blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. He was the opposite of James, in appearance and everything he stood for. It was well known at school that the Malfoys were from long line of Slytherins, a family with an uncanny affinity for the Dark Arts. In many ways he was like Snape, well versed in every curse and hex ever imagined, and horrible to those he felt were his inferiors. He had the same pure blood complex, and loathed muggle born wizards publicly. Yet there was a very marked difference between Snape and Malfoy. Lucius made himself revered. All of his bad traits were masked by perfect composure, grace, and a haughtiness that made students look up to him, rather than despise him. Lily had always seen him for what he was though, and knew who he was associated with; she knew her admiration of him had been strictly physical. He was now working in the Ministry, in the department of Civil Magical Progress. It was a new department that had almost been created by him. This in itself was shocking, since he had only been a Hogwarts graduate for a year before it was developed. There was no denying his intelligence, but also no denying his dubious allegiances and opinions. Lily had sat many evenings in the Parker household with Alice, listening to her parents discuss the state of the Ministry, and why the creation of such a department had even been thought of. To all reasonable wizards, the department seemed to be an engine of control, and in the Parkers opinion, no one in the Ministry should be given more control than they already had.

The door opened and Lily's thoughts were scattered. She looked up as Alice rushed to her side and began petting her and fussing, looking extremely worried.

"Alice, I'm fine," Lily said with a slight smile. "Really, I'm ok, just stop fawning, alright?" Alice looked at her reproachfully, then conceded and sat in the desk next to her, concern still clouding her features. Frank and Sirius had followed Alice in and were now seated between her and James.

"So now what?" Sirius sad after a moment of silence. "I don't mean to be uncompassionate or anything, but if we stay here we'll definitely be caught. I saw Mrs. Norris on our way here, and I know she can't' see through the cloak, but still, it makes me nervous."

"Yeah, we do need to move," James replied. "Lil? You and Alice want to go somewhere?"

"Yeah, we can go on up to the tower, you can stay there tonight if you want?" Alice looked at her friend questioningly.

"Ok," Lily said, looking up at Alice, then glancing at James, she seemed to want to say something else. Taking the cue, James stood up, "Well, I think I should walk you there just in case, and Frank and Sirius can report back to the common rooms, I know news travels fast here, maybe they can stop any rumors that might be wanting to spread." He looked at Sirius.

"Sure, Prongs, whatever you need." Sirius stood up, glanced at Frank, who muttered something to Alice, then stood up and joined Sirius at the door. Lily watched as he threw the cloak around them and they disappeared.

"Ok, we don't' have a cloak, but we can't very well wander the halls like this. Disillusionment Charms?" he inquired at Lily. She nodded and Alice groaned.

"It's just like the two of you, pick a spell that they don't even teach you in school." Lily laughed and cuffed her friend playfully.

"Oh Alice, don't be bitter. Here, I've got you covered." And with that she took out her wand, tapped Alice once on the head and slowly she seemed to dissolve into the background.

"Cool," Alice muttered, as Lily and James tapped each other on the head and faded into the background with her.

"Alright," said James, glancing at the Marauder's Map that Sirius had left with him, "coast's clear."

They arrived at the bathroom door ten minutes later without incident.

"Here we are," said Alice from her disillusioned mouth. "I think that I will leave you here," she continued. Lily began to protest but Alice cut her off. "No Lil, it's ok, I think you need James more right now than me anyway. If you want company later, give me a ring." She smiled and hugged her friend, then turned to James. "You ok staying with her for a while?" James nodded, and then leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Oh go on! Get in there quick, and I hope Frank knows how to de-disillusion me, or I'm coming after you in the morning!" and with that, she turned and was gone.

"So," James said after a moment, "this is the entrance to your secret lair?" Lily smiled at him, and lead the way in.

"Yes, this is our little sanctuary of femininity; it's the only safe haven in the school." She said this teasingly at him as she walked to the stall. "After you," she said, opening the stall door. James glanced at her, then walked past her and into the stall. Lily followed, and was soon enclosed in the small space with him. Slightly astonished, she realized that the stall was rather small, and she was standing very close to James. She felt a warmth rise in her body, and butterflies materialize in her stomach, and for a moment became disoriented. Then James said her name softly and touched her arm. The touch sent a shock through her body and she snapped her face up to look at him.

"Lil, how do we get in?" he asked her gently.

"Oh, right..." she took out her wand and tapping the wall muttered "Alohamora". The doors opened and revealed the familiar staircase. She brushed by James, feeling their bodies connected for a moment, and then stepped onto the bottom step. She felt James climb on the stairway just behind her. Very close behind her actually; she could feel the warmth of his body, the closeness of his breath. Her mind had now found its way out of its molasses state, and was reeling so fast she felt she might be dizzy. But then, maybe that was just from the butterflies in her stomach, or the electrical shock of the touch of James' hand. The door at the top of the stairs approached, and she felt James place his hand in the small of her back, pushing gently, guiding her into the room. They stepped over the threshold as the door closed silently behind them.

James led her all the way across the room and sat her down in one of the chairs. He pulled up a chair for himself and then twirled his wand, conjuring tea cups and steaming tea pot. At this Lily seemed to relax and come out of a reverie; she laughed lightly at the sight of the table setting.

"Why James," she smiled, "so domestic." Looking down at the tea pot, James began to chuckle too, for some reason it did seem absurdly funny.

"I, well, it's just that—well, I mean, my mother always makes me tea when I..." he trailed off as Lily's soft laughter grew into giggles, "would you mind not laughing at me? I mean, I am only trying to help." He tried to sound cross, but the smile on his face ruined the half hearted bluff.

"I'm sorry," Lily said as she regained her composure "it's just that, I'm a little tense and it was the last thing I was expecting." She seemed to sober up as she said this, a small worry line beginning to crease her brow. James thought he knew what was coming next, and knew that it would have to be addressed sooner or later. "It was just that, when we came up here, and Alice left...and it was just you and me...and you were so close...I just...I" and for the first time in recent memory, words failed Lily Evans. She looked helplessly up into James' face, and he locked her eyes in his soft hazel gaze.

"I know what you thought Lil, and it doesn't have to be that way." Her hand was resting on the table in front of them; it looked as though it had stopped lost on its half hearted journey towards the tea pot. He wondered if perhaps he should touch her; if he should hold her hand, comfort her. "I know what Lucius Malfoy was trying to do tonight. I know it's not something you want to talk about right now, but it would be better if you did." he said in a low voice, averting his eyes because for some reason he felt that what he was saying was indecent.

"But James," Lily said, "that's just it, I do want to talk about it. And I don't' know why, and it's confusing and I just feel like I need to talk about it." James looked up at this, looked straight into her deep, wonderful green eyes, and saw the need for a simple friendship. How could he have been so silly? Of course that's what she needed, a friend to talk to. She was talking again, "that's why when Alice left I was confused. I was confused about what I had felt with Malfoy, and what I felt when you found me, and what I felt when I thought you wanted to be alone with me. I just assumed you—well, I assumed a lot and nothing all at the same time. So if you don't mind, can we talk a little?" she said this all in one long breath and when she was done, James imagined she looked happier.

"Yeah," his face broke into a grin, "yeah, we can talk about anything you want." He leaned back in his chair and looked at her expectantly.

"Oh," the green eyes looked momentarily taken aback, "ok." She said in a small voice. After a short pause she got up and started pacing the room. James was reminded strongly of a cat prowling in front of a mouse whole that had it stumped, or an empty bowl of food it can't figure out how to fill. Her movements were graceful and controlled, and her green eyes glinted in the torchlight. "Well, I guess first I want to say thank you...so, thank you," she said turning her eyes on him.

"Of course," James replied, "it's wasn't even a question as to what I should do when I saw you."

"I know, but here's the thing...I—for the slightest split second, as I heard steps approaching, before I yelled...I mean, for the smallest fraction of a second...I didn't want it to stop." The last words came out in a rush and she stopped with her back to him.

"Oh, God Lil," James stood up and walked over to her, "I...well; I think you might have to explain that one to me. But it's ok; no one's judging you for anything." He reached a hand out and smoothed her hair down her back.

"Yeah, I know, it was a shock to me as well." She turned to face him, her gaze catching the hand that was trailing in the air from where her back had left it. Absently she reached out her own hand, letting her fingers touch his, tracing a line up his fore finger and to his wrist. She watched her movements with unseeing eyes, obviously unaware of what she was doing; but James was very aware of it. "I mean, this afternoon when I saw him again; I mean, it's been two years since he's been here. And all the things that Mr. and Mrs. Parker talk about, say about his new job; about him...it was like an electric surge of hatred when he spoke to me. I couldn't believe, after all the things he's said publicly about...well, about first generation wizards like me...I couldn't believe he would insult me by actually saying my name. But at the same time, I was drawn to him; I had forgotten how...how attractive he was...is," she seemed to say this as an apology, and looked tentatively up into James eyes.

"It's Ok Lil, like I said, no judging. You don't have to apologize for being attracted to an attractive person. I mean, hell, if I was girl I'd probably think he was an angel too." He laughed lightly, to try and make her smile. It worked, and looking down at her hand, which was still entwined with his he said "maybe we should sit down?"

"Yeah, Ok," she said, and instead of heading for the table she dragged him across the room to the bed. She plopped down on the bed and sighed. "Why is life so complicated James?"

"Well," he said, sitting down next to her, "I mean, what if it were easy? Would it be any fun? I mean, if everything was spelled out in black and white, why would we be here anyway?"

"Yeah, I guess..." she trailed off and left them in a contemplative silence. After a moment she sat up and faced James, cross legged at the head of the bed. "Anyway, so I was all confused already this afternoon, hating his guts and still being drawn to him. And then you...well you didn't make the situation any better." She glanced at him ruefully; he acknowledged the fact and nodded for her to go on. "I mean, when you saw him talking to me, and came up and insulted him to his face...I know you were just trying to show your feelings about him, and God knows Sirius has no self control when it comes to...well, wizards of dubious ideals...but it just reaffirmed how I have felt about you in the past. It reminded me of your Snape baiting, which I thought you had left behind you, even if Sirius won't give it up. And I know that Snape and Malfoy are in two different categories, and what you said to Malfoy was justifiable...but it just flashed me back to the day when you told me you disliked Snape simply because he existed, which reminded me of what Malfoy believes about—non-pureblood wizards..."she finished.

This had all come out in one long, drawn out thought; it was like she had put the needle on a record and James knew he just needed to let her play it all out, or she would never get to say it. He looked at her thoughtfully, and realized just how much had been on her mind. He opened his mouth to say this but she cut him off.

"No, let me get just a bit more out...this is the awkward part anyway, so you might as well just listen. I'm sorry that Alice sent you in for what should have been girl talk, especially when a lot of it has to do with you..." she paused for a moment, thinking about something; James saw her slip into that far away look that she often got when deep in thought. After a moment though she shook her head and was ready to talk again.

"So then tonight, when Malfoy stopped me, I was terrified. But there was a big part of me that wasn't, and it wanted him to go on, and was mad at you when you stopped it...he wanted me James. I know he despises me, but he despises me for something that you can't see on the outside. And he wanted what he could see on the outside...he wanted my body, and that...that felt really good...to be wanted like that..."she trailed off again and lowered her eyes, embarrassed.

"But Lil," James said quietly, "do you think other people don't want you?" he cautiously put his hand out and rested it on her knee; she didn't move away.

"Well, no, not...not really...but sometimes it feels like it." She looked up at him with a sad smile. "I mean, I've kissed boys before, even been asked out a few times, I just...well, I've never wanted to take any of them up on it, you know?" she thought about this for a moment, then "James, does that make me a hypocrite?" she looked up at him and her eyes were so sincere he couldn't help but laugh. "It does doesn't it?! Here I am complaining that I don't feel wanted and it's just because I don't feel wanted by the people I want to want me?" James' laughter faltered a little as he tried to work out what on earth she had just said.

"Well, I guess a little Lil," he said lamely, after he thought he had the gist of it figured out.

"Damn. Alice says it's because guys are afraid of me...which I keep telling her is a load of—"

"But don't you see Lil? It's true; we men are scared of you! You're a very intimidating girl." He said all of this with an endearing smile, and she couldn't help but crack one herself.

"If I'm so dangerous, why on earth haven't' I come up in any of our Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, hmm?" she teased.

"Well I should have thought that was obvious. It's because you're not a Dark Art. You're far from it. Actually the fear is mostly of perfection."

"Hey!" James dodged the playful swat Lily had aimed at his head.

"What?" he said, perplexed, "What on earth is wrong with being perfect?"

"Oh, it's exasperating, that's all." She said annoyed. "I mean all my life that's all I've ever heard. 'Oh she's so smart!', 'She's so talented!', 'She can do anything!'...which is all fine and great until you realize that your whole life is just living up to expectations people have of you, and then you kind of forget what you expected of yourself, or if you ever really expected anything of yourself in the first place."

"Oh," said James, slightly taken aback, "I guess I'd never thought of it that way."

"Yeah well people rarely do." She replied. "Sorry, I wasn't meaning to yell at you, it just sort of came out that way." She smiled apologetically at him.

"It's ok, I asked for it. So," he said quietly, "so Malfoy was just a guy who was man enough to force himself on you, and he didn't exalt you in the process."

"Yeah, that was about it..." she said. "He degraded me and wanted me all in the same breath, and I guess for some reason that did it for me...Don't look at me like that James Potter, I didn't say it was rational. I'm seventeen and even though my mind was trying to be sane the rest of me was rebelling. Is rebelling..." she looked tentatively into James' eyes. She wasn't sure if he had taken her meaning or not. "Before, I mean, earlier today, Alice and I talked about you..." It took James a moment to register her change of subject, and when he did he started slightly, looking at her quickly.

"You talked about what?"

"Well, I was confused about you...about how I feel about you..." she said shyly. Her hair was hanging down, covering half of her face. Suddenly, James' head felt very light, and his stomach seemed to be full of something very wriggly.

"And?" he said, subconsciously leaning towards her. It was like watching a cliff hanger movie, and he had no idea where the plot would turn next.

"And, well...I guess I decided I kind of...like you." Her eyes met his and for what seemed like an eternity they were locked together; his hazel eyes bound to her green ones; even the air felt still. James felt as if he had been holding his breath for the last six years, and he would finally be able to breathe, if only she would let him.

"I mean, I realized that the really annoying thing about you was that all those things I thought I hated were actually things I love. I love that you are amazing at Quidditch, and that you mess up your hair so that you look like you just got off a broom, and that you steal snitches just to show off for me; I love the fact that you are so smart, and amazing at magic, and that the whole school knows it; I love that you are so close to your friends and so dedicated to them that you learned how to become an animagus just to be with Remus in his toughest times; I love that while you can't possibly stand how Peter imitates your every move you still care enough to help him and protect him; and now that I've realized all this I feel like everything has changed, and I was just hoping that you maybe, could forgive me all the times I've—" but what exactly she wanted to be forgiven for she never managed to get out because at that moment her words were stopped by James's mouth suddenly on hers. The kiss had taken her unexpectedly, but when she realized what was happening she melted into his arms. Her lips parted and the kiss grew deeper, their tongues mingling together, searching each other. She could feel his hands on her neck, and in her hair, gently caressing, yet holding on so tightly. She felt an amazing wave of relief flood through her body. It was as if the warm tingling sensation that was erupting in her stomach and spreading throughout her body was pushing out all the bad memories of the day, all the tension and uncertainty. This was right, and for once her body and mind were agreeing on it.

Holding her gently, and not once letting their lips part, James slowly lowered her head to the pillow and laid himself out on top of her. She moaned as she felt the pressure of their bodies stretched together. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her, feeling his hardness pressed against her stomach. This time though, instead of being disgusted by it, she was excited by it. It was a wonderful feeling, and she wanted it deeper, she wanted to hold him so close to her that they became one person; she wanted their bodies to mesh and never be separated.

James pulled gently out of the kiss, his hands caressing her face, brushing strands of hair from it, gazing into his eyes. "You're beautiful Lilith," he said softly, "did you know that? Did anyone ever tell you that?" he leaned down and kissed her lightly, "You are a fire headed goddess, body, mind and spirit." He leaned in to kiss her again, deeper this time, and as he pulled away she bit his bottom lip, ever so slightly. His eyes grew wide.

"Don't look at me like that James Potter," she said playfully, "I said I'd kissed boys before. I'm not a complete dunce." With that she pulled his head down and back into a kiss filled with promise. As he kissed her he looked into her eyes and what he saw there unnerved him. He was not sure he was ready to do what he knew she was asking him to do. It would not be his first time, but he knew it would be hers, and there was a voice inside him saying this was not the night to do it. But he pushed that thought aside, thinking that if it came to that, then they could discuss it, and plunged wholeheartedly into what was promising to be an intense snog session.

"Well you are certainly not a dunce," he said, barely pulling away from her lips. "But I wonder, were the other boys you've kissed dunces?" She giggled and he leaned forward and kissed her on the neck, right beneath her ear. He felt her gasp and her body tighten and smiled to himself. He continued to place soft wet kisses on her neck, inching slowly downwards, reaching her collar bone and her shirt. With one hand he pulled back the shirt, so as to have access to her whole collar bone, while the other snaked from her hip and up her side. She moaned as his hand moved across her ribs and found her breast. It was then that he realized, with a slight pang of guilt, that her shirt was still completely unbuttoned from where Malfoy had ripped it. He wasted only a moment's hesitation before he sat up and brushed the shirt apart.

Lily watched as he sat straddled across her hips, gazing down at her. He looked at her as if he was looking at a priceless painting in a museum, and was for a moment mesmerized, lost in her innocence. She appreciated the respect, but this was not what she wanted right now. She reached out and gently took hold of his hand, guiding it down to her breast. She pressed his hand into her, and covered it with her own for a moment, eyes closed, savoring the feeling. But then he slid off of her, and came to rest next to her on the bed.

"Hey, Lil," he said, and she looked over at him, "not tonight." He said it simply, and she knew what he meant, and as soon as he said it she appreciated it.

"I know," she lowered her eyes for a moment, thoughtful. Then, looking right at him, "but it was the first time I thought it would be right." And looking in her eyes he knew it was true.

"Me too, but not tonight. It wouldn't be," James struggled with the word 'prudent' for awhile, then decided that it was completely wrong, "it wouldn't be right."

"Mmm," she snuggled into his shoulder, curling up beside him, "thank you for being a better person than I have ever given you credit for," she said.

"No problem," James replied with a laugh. "So what now?" he asked after a moment.

"Sleep." Lily answered decidedly. "It is way past my bed time, and besides, you have a Quidditch game to play tomorrow. And I have to figure out what I'm going to do about Malfoy and the Ministry." She said this last with a straight face, and James glanced at her with raised eyebrows.

"What _you _are going to do about the Ministry?"

"Of course," she said, propping herself up on her elbow to look at him, "you don't' see anyone else jumping at the responsibility do you?" her eyebrows met his and she stared him down unblinkingly.

"Ok, Ok," James finally broke down, chuckling appreciatively, "I guess not. And for the record, I really couldn't think of a better candidate. Just please, anything you are planning to do run by me, or at least Alice, before you do anything rash?"

"I'll think about it," she said through narrowed eyes, as if appraising him, and checking to see if he was worthy of her cause.

"But you know, I'm sure you're parents aren't too happy about any of it either. Don't they talk about it at all?"

"Of course they do," James replied. "But as my mum works at the Ministry, they aren't dumb enough to do something about it just yet."

"So what, are they just going to wait until it gets blown out of proportion? And then pick up and say they think what has happened is wrong, as soon as nothing can be done about it?" Lily had sat up by now, and there was fire in her eyes. _Uh oh_ James thought, he had seen that light in her before, and knew that if he was not prepared to get into a full blown debate, he had to end it now. Unfortunately, he was finding it rather hard to concentrate: Lily made quite an extraordinary picture at the moment. She was sitting on her knees now, bare feet tucked under her, with no shirt on and her hands on her hips, and an expression of complete disgust on her face as her hair flew in every direction about her head. It was too much for him, and before he could answer he let out a choking laugh.

"What?!" Lily demanded.

"Nothing, it's just, you...I'm sorry Lil, I'm not trying to laugh at you, it's just that you are sitting there half naked yelling at me about politics, and...well, it's an amusing picture." He finished with a broad grin on his face, and she could see his chest shaking with repressed laughter.

"Oh you are such a boy!" but she was smiling now, and had thrown a pillow at him. "Leave it to you to notice that I'm not wearing a shirt! As if a girl can only talk politics when she's fully clothed...where do you think half of the historical political decisions that affect us today were made? In the bedroom!!" James knew better than to make any comments about women talking politics around Lily, but he knew Sirius would have had a good laugh could he have heard that speech.

"Alright Lil, it's fine, you can talk politics at me naked all night if you want, but I'm gonna need to sleep soon, like you said, I am a Quidditch star. I need my beauty rest."

"Bloody hell you do," Lily said, making a disgusted face, "I'm not sure I should sleep in the same room with you, you may suck away all my beauty!" she teased back. At that they both started laughing and called a truce.

"Hmmm, now to the more pressing question, I don't have anything to sleep in..." Lily trailed off thoughtfully. "Oh wait!" she finally said jumping up, "I forgot, Alice and Frank stay here sometimes, I bet there are clothes in that bureau." And she hopped off the bed to check.

"Wow, she's like, moved in here or something," she said, as she began pulling out sleepwear. "Yikes!!" she yelped, holding up a very red, lacy...something. "Oh ho! Oh Alice has some serious explaining to do!" she said gleefully, holding it up in front of her, as if modeling it for James, who let out a low whistle.

"Yes she does! And so does Frank, damn, I'm going to have to start asking for details from now on!"

"Well, at least there are some normal clothes in here," she said, pulling out a pair of cotton PJ's. "And look, here's some of Franks too. Sorry, you don't get to sleep naked." She threw him a sly look and the pajamas. She then proceeded to change, without even asking James to turn around.

This was a talent that had always fascinated him about girls: the ability to completely change an outfit without ever showing anything indecent. He had seen it done a million times, with as many different pieces of clothing, and was still baffled by it every time. The girls on the Quidditch team never bothered to go to their changing room, except to take showers. They said it was pointless to waste the time in another room, when their captain could be giving them instructions.

When she was done she folded her discarded clothes, though not too neatly, and set them on one of the chairs, then walked over to a mirror that James had not noticed before and began braiding her long auburn tresses over her shoulder.

"You can go ahead and change, I'm not looking," she said, and he could hear a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Thank you, I'm sorry that I do not have your clothes swapping talents, I am only a mere man," he mocked her right back. He instinctively turned his back to her, and quickly stripped off his jeans and threw on the PJ's. When he turned around she was finishing off the end of the plait. Yet another thing that had always fascinated him about girls: how they were able to handle all that hair. He watched her fingers with fascination, they seemed to be moving expertly in a pre-choreographed dance, knowing exactly where each piece of hair was supposed to go. As she secured it with a tie, she noticed him gazing at her fingers.

"Something interesting?" she asked.

"Oh, well, yeah actually," he replied, looking away from her hands, "I've always found the way girls handle all that hair fascinating. I mean, I don't even have a fraction of your hair, and I can't even get it to lay flat, let alone twist it and contort it into intricate patterns that for some unforeseen reason stay in place." As she saw the sincere bafflement in his face, Lily had to laugh, not unkindly.

"I guess it is kind of interesting, I've never really thought about it because it's just something I always have to do." She turned back to the mirror thoughtfully, then said, "But you know, I have been thinking of cutting it. It really is a lot to manage, not to mention wash."

"What?! Cut it? No, no, no, not a good plan!" the force of James's exclamation startled her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Oh, well," all of a sudden he looked sheepish and a little embarrassed, "well, I think it's beautiful, to tell you the truth."

"Thank you." She said, and when she looked at him something in his stomach flipped. "So," Lily said, "um, bed?" raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"Yeah, I guess," James said, and walked over to the bed. Pulling down the covers he said, "You get the bed."

"How is that fair?" Lily replied, though she smiled at him and climbed into the bed.

"Well I'm not sure that fair is an issue here. It's the gentlemanly thing to do, besides, you were the one attacked tonight, not me; I just did the rescuing." While he said this James had waved his wand and a low cot with blankets, pillow, and a fluffy pink bunny appeared in the middle of the floor. He frowned slightly, and glanced at Lily, who looked slightly surprised, but seemed to think better of asking. "Ok, just to clear things up before we go to sleep with you thinking I normally sleep with a fluffy pink rabbit: I conjured the cot from a supply of things that my mom has put in charmed storage for me. It's a whole bunch of stuff that she thought I might possibly need while I'm here at Hogwarts. She obviously didn't think too hard about who I'd be with if I ever needed a cot because the first time I used it was when we slept in the shrieking shack the first time. There I was with Sirius, Remus and Peter and this cot appears with this—thing—on it...well I'm sure you get the picture." He finished ruefully. Lily laughed at the look on his face.

"It's not so bad, its kind of cute." She said, curling up under the covers and looking at the bunny.

"Yeah, I guess..." James slipped under the covers of the cot with a slight frown on his face, "But you know, I very distinctly remember telling her to take that bunny out of storage this summer." But he was talking to himself, because Lily, exhausted had fallen almost immediately asleep. James looked at her again, and smiled. It hadn't been the most pleasant night, and he ferverently wished that he and Lily had started their relationship under better circumstances, but he felt strangely relaxed and comfortable, glad that he was here with Lily Evans.


	3. Politics and PremonitionsPart I

A/N: Sorry about the confusion of these next two chapters. Due to incompetency on my part Chapter 3 will be posted in two sections, Politics and Premonitions, Parts I and II. It should be very obvious at the end of this chapter that it's not actually the end...again, appologies.

disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or plot lines suggested by JK Rowling...if you've never seen it before, then it's mine.

Chapter 3

"Awwww, how cute, he sleeps with a stuffed animal!" Sunlight was creating a glow behind Lily's eyelids that was making it difficult to remain asleep. And there were voices. She must be dreaming

"Cute? More like revolting. I'm telling you, the first time I saw that thing, I about jumped ship." Hmmm, why was she dreaming about Sirius and Alice?

"Oh Sirius, you are the least sensitive person I've ever met." Lily's eyes snapped open.

"Alice!!" she exclaimed sitting up. "What are you doing?!"

"Oh hush up silly, it's almost ten, we were worried that James was going to miss his Quidditch match." She was smiling slyly, and her eyes glinted with amusement. "We wouldn't want that now would we?"

"It's almost ten?" Lily asked, her eyes wide. She hadn't slept in this late since...well she couldn't remember the last time. How late did she and James stay up talking last night? Speaking of James. "Hey, sleepy head, wake up!!" Lily yelled and tossed her pillow at what she thought was James's face; it was hard to tell, as he was completely rolled up in the blankets.

"Mmhph," an indistinct muffle came from the cot, and James snaked a lazy hand up to the pillow and dragged it off of his head. "I was sleep—," he stopped abruptly as his sleep filled eyes fell on the grinning form of his best friend, "—ing..." he finished reluctantly.

"Morning James!" Sirius said brightly, with a huge smile. "Thought we'd come and check on you, make sure you weren't having a lie-in or anything." He was practically bouncing with amusement.

"Lily," James said, turning to her with an accusatory glare, "I thought you said only you and Alice knew how to get in here!"

"Oh wake up dolt, Alice and I _were _the only ones who knew about this place...it seems we've given it up to quite a few people now." At this she shot Alice a withering look. James finally noticed that Sirius was not the only extra person in the room.

"Since when are you two pals?" he said with a groan, looking back and forth between Alice and his friend.

"Oh, Sirius and I get along just fine, as long as you and Lily are getting along." Smiled Alice.

"Yeah, besides, how else was I supposed to come and embarrass you without her help? It's all about the networking mate." Sirius chimed in.

"Alright that's it," James said, climbing out of bed, "I need a new best friend. Lil, you up for it?"

"Oh you are so silly, in case you didn't notice, they're just here trying to look out for you. It's ten o'clock and the Quidditch pitch calls." Lily replied smiling.

"Seriously Prongs," said Sirius, "do you really think I'd interrupt this for anything less than Quidditch?" at 'this' he had raised his eyebrows and jabbed his head at Lily. Alice was lost in a fit of giggles and jumped onto the bed to sit next to Lily. "I mean, under the circumstances, I'd've let you sleep through class, even!" continued Sirius, a wolfish grin on his face.

"Alright, alright," James said climbing out of bed looking slightly embarrased, "I'm starving anyway, and if it's ten then they're about to end breakfast." As he said this James waved his wand and the cot vanished. He glanced around and found his clothes, then pulled his shirt and jeans over the flannel pajamas.

"And no need to worry mate," Sirius said gleefully, "no one could possibly think anything unusual is going on when the Gryffindor quidditch captain walks in to breakfast late, dishevled, and wearing yesterday's clothes over a pair of PJ's that aren't his." He finished this statement with a grin so wide it threatned to take over the rest of his face. James looked ruefully down at himself.

"Oh Sirius, you're horrible!" Alice exclaimed, "James, no one is going to look twice at you, well, at least not for the reasons you're worried about. Now will the two of you get your silly bums downstairs and into the great hall for breakfast!!"

"Come on Prongs," Sirius said, glancing at Alice, "the girls are getting feisty, we'd better run for it mate." Seeing the look of mock horror on his best friends face James finally cracked a grin.


	4. Politics and PremonitionsPart II

"Well I need to go to Gryffindor tower first, I've got to get my broom and stuff...how do I get out of here?" he asked suddenly, a look of horror on his face. Lily, Alice and Sirius all burst out laughing.

"Come on mate, you're talking to your partner in crime here," said Sirius, pulling James's invisibility cloak from his bag. Lily, who was still sitting on the bed halfway under the covers let out a yawn and stretched lazily.

"Well you boys can go and brave the Saturday morning breakfast rush, I think I'm going to stay right here for the rest of the day," and with that she flopped back on the bed and threw the covers over her head. Alice snorted and punched a lumpy spot she hoped was a part of her friend. Lily obliged with a yelp and Alice looked up at James and Sirius.

"You two go on, I think I can handle this. Oh, and James?" she said with an impish grin, "I'm not going to wish you luck seeing as I need to maintain some sort of house pride. Besides, it's a Puff day, I can feel it!"

"Alice," James replied as he and Sirius walked toward the door, "since I consider you a friend, I will not bust your bubble and say, under no circumstances will Hufflepuff win today's match!" and with a laugh he threw the invisibility cloak around him and Sirius. Alice laughed as she watched the door open and listened to Sirius and James chuckle appreciatively as they made their way down the stairs. When they were out of sight the door silently shut behind them.

As soon as she heard the door close Lily pulled the covers back from her face and looked sheepishly at her friend. Alice, whose giggles were still subsiding, surveyed her friend for a moment, and then said, "I am going to want a full account of whatever happened last night you know." She said it in the matter of fact way that best friends have with each other; a way which left no room for discussion on Lily's part. That was fine with Lily; this was something that she was desperate to talk to her girlfriend about. She took a deep breath to start her explanation, when Alice cut her off, "but not right now," she said. Lily seemed to choke on the breath she had just taken and looked at her fiend perplexed. At the expression on Lily's face, Alice cracked a grin, "I just mean," she continued, "that there are more important things that I think we should talk about first. I can wait to hear the other part."

"Oh," said Lily, sounding slightly dissapointed, "what's more important than what I didn't do with James last night?" Alice glanced at her friend and raised an eyebrow at the way Lily had phrased her comment, but didn't inquire.

"I mean, Lily, the issue of why Malfoy was here in the first place yesterday. I sent my parents an owl right after we ran into him the first time, and it came back to me this morning." She took a piece of parchment out of her pocket and handed it to Lily, "Here, read that." Lily took the parchment and read,

_Dear Alice, _

_Thank you for sending us that letter yesterday evening. You are correct in thinking that Lucius Malfoy being at Hogwarts is not good news, especially if he was there to speak with the headmaster. Your father and I sent a letter to Dumbledore right after we received your owl. There are many rumors floating around lately; many of which you can find in the Daily Prophet. They do not have a very high opinion of the Ministry right now, for which we can all be thankful. It is good to know that they are feeling opposition from the media still.. I want you to keep being vigilant dear, but be careful as well. These could be tidings of dangerous times for our friends, and us, if Malfoy is truly getting as much power as the Prophet is rumoring. His visit with Dumbledore proves that the Ministry is after something; all we can do is wait and watch until we get word that it is time to act. _

_I know that this is your final year at Hogwarts, and you must soon either continue schooling or enter the work field, like we've talked about many times before. This is information that you should care about, and pay attention to closely; you are of age now, and any political and social matters in out world directly affect you, and can in turn be affected by you. I know you will pass all of this along to Lily, but all the same I'm going to tell you to do it. It is especially important that she understands and pays attention to what is going on. This new legislation will directly affect her and her family, and she is at a point in her life where she can, as I said before, have an influence on the outcome of things._

_I hope your semester is going well, keep up with your studies, NEWTS are this year, bug Lily all you can to help you study! Remember what I said and keep your father and I updated on any new developments. We love you lots, and stay safe,_

_Your Mother_

When she was done reading Lily kept looking at the parchment for a moment before raising her eyes to gaze out one of the windows. "I wonder what Dumbledore wrote back to them?" she asked after a while.

"Me too," agreed Alice, "but I doubt they'll tell us. That's probably top secret or something." She gave a small laugh, then lapsed back into silence. They sat there for a few minutes, neither of them talking, Lily occasionally glancing back at the letter in her hands. Finally Lily climbed out of the bed and found her clothes from last night. She contemplated them for a moment; seeing as it was her school uniform she really didn't feel like wearing it on a Saturday.

Glancing at the wardrobe she asked, "Do you mind?", Alice waved her hand dismissively.

"Go ahead, if you find something in there that fits." As Lily rummaged around in the clothes looking for something decent to put on Alice continued with the conversation. "So since we know that mum and dad aren't really going to help us out that much, I guess we've got some snooping to do."

"Snooping, Alice, is not a nice word," said Lily as she surfaced from the wardrobe with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, "I prefer investigative research. What we want to know is perfectly reasonable, and as your mum so aptly put it, it's actually our responsibility." She shrugged out of the PJ's she had been wearing and stepped into the jeans. "Wow, Alice, I really like these," she commented, looking in the mirror as she pulled the t-shirt over her head. "They're supper comfy."

"Yes well they look much better on you than they ever have on me," Alice replied ruefully. The jeans were loose on Lily, sat just on her hip bones, and managed to look increadibly provocative. "And I see you have capitalized on my favorite t-shirt as well," she commented with a laugh. The shirt was somthing muggle she had picked up on a shopping trip with Lily and her parents. It was red, and in white lettering on the front said 'hello love'.

"I know, I told you I'd never forgive you for seeing it first," Lily replied with a devilish grin, "how 'bout I just borrow it for awhile?"

"Oh whatever," Alice sighed resignedly, "as long as you're almost ready to sit down and talk!"

"I'm sorry Alice," Lily said, returning to the bed and plopping down beside her pouting friend, "I'm just not having the easiest time focusing right now. Maybe this would go better if you let me talk to you about last night first?"

"Fine!" Alice laguhed at her friend, "go ahead and get it off your chest. I know we'll talk about it for days anyway, but go ahead, give me the short version." Looking immensly releived, Lily adjusted herself so as to get better situated to relate her tale.

"Ok, so when you left, I was soooo confused," she began. "I mean, I was really confused anyway from Malfoy, and then you left me there with James, and I was asuming the worst...well, best I guess..."

Lily took the next half hour summing up her night, and Alice listened appreciatively, as only a best friend can do. She let Lily talk herself into silence, which she knew was what the girl needed. Most of it didn't come as a surprise; she knew that someday Lily would realize that she felt very strongly towards James. She had also known that Lily was going to have some very interesting reactions toward her encounter with Malfoy. Lily was a strong person, and increadibly independant, but she had confided in Alice countless times about her need to feel loved; her need to feel normal and just as lost and confused and clumsy as the rest of the world. The fact that Malfoy had in some way brought that out for her was not a surprise entirely, and Alice had an instinctive feeling that the encounter would lend itself to interesting implications for upcoming dealings with the man. Lily had been faced with him, and had come away from it relatively unscathed, emotionally as well as physically. More importantly, James had shown his strength and resolve against Malfoy, which was something he was not likely to forget.

Lily's recount of the nights' happenings lasted all the way down to the great hall, and got them most of the way through breakfast. The house tables were noisy and colorful this morning, as it was a quidditch day. The members of the Hufflepuff house cut a long yellow slash down the left side of the hall, and patches of the color could be seen at the other house tables as well. Nothing however could drown out the red that dominated the room. The Gryffindors were bearing their colors with pride, and a bit of arrogance, as always. Quidditch was thier turf, and although the cup had not resided in Gryffindor tower for a few years, it was undisputed that their team was superior to any in recent decades. This was due largely to James, who was seeker and captain of the team. He was an unusually skilled player; not only did he have an uncanny ability to spot the illusive snitch, execute daring and dangerous feets on a broom seemingly without effort, and look good doing it all, he also was a strong leader. He always seemed to know what his team needed to practice, and knew the needs of each individual player. He had the strategic mind of a chess player, and their team strength lay not only in talented players, but also in genious plays. All in all things were looking good for Gryffindor qudditch this year.

Alice had dragged Lily over to the Hufflepuff table when they entered the hall; she insisted that today at least she would act like she supported her house. Lily was well aware that her red shirt (which she just now realized was a very happy coincidence) stood out like a beacon amid the mass of yellow. She didn't really mind, there were others who intermingled at the breakfast tables, and splashes of other colors could be seen here and there. At the end of her story Lily and Alice had fallen into a sort of lul for a moment, both of them lost in thought, and Lily found her eyes straying over to the Gryffindor table where most of the noise was coming from.

James was sitting in the middle of the table with his team gathered around. He seemed to be making sure they all ate a descent amount of food that was not going to make them sick the moment they left the ground, as well as casually discussing strategy with Marcus Bellows, the team's keeper and a fellow seventh year. James's hair was wild as ever, falling into his eyes in a rougish way, and seeming to accent their extra gleam. Lily smiled to herself as she imagined that maybe that gleam possibly had something to do with her. To his left, Sirius was gesturing wildly about something, obviously holding everyone within a ten foot radius enthralled by whatever story he was telling. It never ceased to amaze Lily how good looking he was. He was tall and dark and handsome, and everything a good cover boy should be. _The cover boy for Hogwarts School _she thought to herself, not for the first time. She'd had her fair share of crushes on him, along with the rest of the female body of Hogwarts, but it had always been James that held her attention the longest. They made quite a pair, the two of them sitting there at the breakfast table, everyone within hearing range completely enraptured of them.

"Hi Lily," a smooth voice said to her left, "I hear you had something of an interesting evening last night." The owner of the voice scooted onto the bench beside her. It was Remus Lupin, Sirius and James's third stooge. He was a quiet boy, usually overshadowed by his companions flamboyance and popularity. Lily suspected he didn't mind much, there was a mystery about Remus that he seemed to enjoy. He was nearly as tall as James, but much slighter of frame, and tended to be rather pale, especially around the full moon. But there was something about his eyes that Lily had never seen in anyone before, and she new that some lucky girl oneday would be completely lost in them. They were light, greyish blue, and deeper than the ocean. Lily liked to say that looking Remus in the eye made her think in poetry (of course, she was careful to never say something like that in James's presence, it tended to make him touchy for the rest of the week).

"Oh you did, did you?" she said warmly. "And whoever would have given you that idea?"

"Well you know James, or Sirius rather," he laughed, while helping himself to some sausages, "can't keep their bloody mouths shut. Anyway, I'm sorry about your run in with Malfoy." Lily glanced at him, wondering as she always did at his forwardness. He seemed to have something against beating around the bush; Remus Lupin was always direct and to the point.

"Well, no harm done really..." she said.

"Actually," Alice cut in, glancing at her friend, "Lil and I were just discussing Malfoy."

"I thought you might have been," Remus replied mildly, "you know, Dumbledore has not really been himself all morning. He's been quite reserved and pensive in my opinion." Remus said this casually as he buttered a piece of toast, but he managed to make the comment cary tremendous weight all the same. Lily and Alice both snapped their heads up towards the staff table to survey their headmaster. Sure enough, he was sitting in his chair still as a statue. His fingers were steepled together under his long nose, and the girls could just make out the furrow of his brow and the slight frown to his lips.

"That is rather odd," Lily said, "and look, if you watch McGonagall, she keeps glancing over at him, and her and Professor Starkey keep talking." Professor Starkey was the Muggle Studdies teacher, and Lily had never known him and McGonagall to be close.

"Yes, well, she would be now wouldn't she?" Remus said, raising his eyebrow, "It is a matter of muggle studdies that is of concern isn't it?"

"Yes, it most definetly is," Alice said reaching into her pocket, "Here, read this. I sent a note to my mum and dad last night about Malfoy, and they sent this back to me this morning." She handed the note over to Remus who began to scan it quickly. Lily was still watching the staff table. Dumbledore seemed to be roaming the hall with his eyes, fixing his gaze on individual students for a moment as he went. Lily wasnt' positive but she thought that she saw a pattern to who he seemed to be looking at. They were all muggle born wizards, like herself. Daphne Dews, and Portia Westminster at the Ravenclaw table; William Barnes at the end of the Gryffindor table; then Abby Brogdon, Michael Lewis, and Cynthia Patterson at the Hufflepuffs. Then quite suddenly the headmaster met her gaze. His eyes seemed worried and dark as she looked back at him. They held eye contact a moment longer, then very abrubptly Dumbledore stood. He leaned over to say something to McGonagall, then swept quickly out of the hall. Lily started and looked over at Remus and Alice. They were both looking at the staff table as well.

"Well, something's definetly gotten to him alright," Remus commented, handing the note back to Alice. "And I must say, your parents are right, we are almost of age, and whatever our goverment is up to, it most definetly concerns us."


End file.
